Town of Clinton, Massachusetts - Master Plan Steering Committee
 
 

What is a Master Plan?

A Master Plan is a description of a town as it exists and as it wishes to become. It considers the particular characteristics of a community as well as the regional and contemporary circumstances in which it finds itself. In Massachusetts, a Master Plan is required to specifically address a set of elements, which include the following:

  • goals and objectives
  • land use
  • housing
  • economic development
  • open space and recreation
  • services and facilities
  • circulation
  • implementation

As a blueprint for future action, a Master Plan will recommend specific strategies and specific timelines for the attainment of desired community goals.

Why does Clinton need a Master Plan?

Our community is in the midst of an era of significant change-perhaps the most significant period of growth and development in the last 125 years. We are witnessing development on a scale and of a type not previously seen in Clinton. The decisions that will be made in the near term about community and economic development will have a decisive impact on the quality of life we all enjoy, and on the possibilities that are available to future residents of the town.

In order to best assure that Clinton continues to be the kind of place we all want to make our home, an effective Master Plan is indispensable. Without a clear articulation of community desires, without a meaningful, relevant context in which to make decisions about our future, we are only flying by the seat of our pants.

In addition to its intrinsic value as a planning document, a completed Master Plan will also place the town in a more favorable position as it applies for municipal grants that are awarded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Why should you become involved?

The Master plan needs to be a community plan-not the Planning Board's plan, not the plan of the Office of Community and Economic Development. We all live in this town, and many of us love this town. Only your participation can best ensure that Clinton continues to be the kind of place that you love, and that it will be so for your children and grandchildren. So please, become informed and become involved!

Where can I learn more?

This website will be updated with more information, as well as useful links to other sites that carry information about our town specifically or planning in general. There is also a discussion forum where you can join other people from town in a dialogue on growth and development issues in town. Also, keep an eye on the local papers and public access television for content on the Master Planning process, and feel free to attend the meetings of the Master Plan Committee, which are usually held every other Tuesday in the Lower Conference Room of Town Hall. To view the minutes of previous committee meetings, please click "Meeting Schedule" link. to the left.

Clinton hires Community Opportunities Group, Inc. as Master Plan Consultant

The Town of Clinton Planning Board and the Master Plan Steering Committee are pleased to announce the hiring of Community Opportunities Group, Inc. of Boston as the lead consultant for the town's new Master Plan. Community Opportunities Group(COGS) is one of the leading municipal planning firms in Massachusetts, and in our region, have recently completed Master Plans or provided planning services for communities such as Harvard, Ayer, Shirley, Princeton, Northboro and Shrewsbury. In Clinton, COGS will lead a team of consultants that includes the following participating firms: